Life Sciences Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Life Sciences Division Researchers Use Laser to put Sparkle Back in Old Photos (July 1999)

A proof-of-principle experiment conducted by researchers in the Biochemistry and Biophysics Section of Life Sciences Division has shown that some daguerrotypes can be cleaned by laser light, sharpening their once clouded images and restoring their luster. John C. Miller and Valerie V. Golovlev experimented with laser ablation using different types of lasers to determine the best way to clean a 19th-century daguerrotype. In laser ablation, the laser light heats up a target’s surface, forming a hot plasma that causes shock waves, ejecting the surface particles. Laser ablation techniques have been previously explored for use in the characterization, dating, and restoration of historic paintings, parchments, stained glass, and statues. Although laser ablation has been employed to restore such artworks in Europe, it has not been used for that purpose in the United States. Laser ablation techniques similar to the ones we use for daguerrotypes are also being evaluated by other labs to remove nanoparticles of dirt that can short out tiny circuits on semiconductor chips. (Contact: John Miller, 574-6239 or jjm@ornl.gov; Funding Source: WFO)